Imagine that you’re the corporate communications vice president for Harley-Davidson Motor Company. To promote motorcycle use in the United States, you’re planning a communication campaign focused on safety. Your objective is to overcome the public’s perception that motorcycles are dangerous.

You decide to include some scholarly research to support your point of view. But, of course, you want to present an ethical argument, so you’ll evaluate each study carefully. Use the following questions from Figure 5, Evaluating Research Studies, to ensure the studies meet your quality standards:

● What was the purpose of the study?

● How was the data collected?

● How was the data analyzed?

● How consistent is the data with that from other studies?

● How old is the data?

Write a few paragraphs that you plan to put on the Harley-Davidson website. Remember your objective: you want people to believe that motorcycles are safe (or, at least, aren’t as dangerous as people perceive them to be). Include references to the articles you decide to use so that your instructor can evaluate your choices.

Figure 5

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Evaluating Research Studies Figure 5 What was the purpose of the study? People who have a vested interest in the outcome of a study may take shortcuts to get the answer they want. But people who approach research with a genuine interest in answering a question are more likely to select their samples carefully, ask clear and unbiased questions, and analyze data objectively. Example: Which study about children's food preferences is more trustworthy-one conducted by the U.S. National Institute of Health or one conducted by Sabrett Hot Dogs? How was the data collected? Were appropriate procedures used? Even if you're not an experienced researcher, you can make sure data was collected properly and from a large enough representative sample. Example: If you want to learn your customers' reactions to healthier menu items, you wouldn't ask only two guests who visited the restaurant on Saturday. You would ask a large percentage of your customers and include individuals and families, early and late diners, and so on. How was the data analyzed? As we'll see later in this chapter, how we analyze data depends on the type of data we collect. In some situations, even though the analysis is appropriate for the original study, it may not be appropriate for your particular purpose. Example: Let's say you find a study about eating preferences by age. If the researchers used the broad category "younger than 21," the study won't help you understand how your target group (children 6-9 years old) responded. How consistent is the data with that from other studies? When you find the same general conclusions in several independent sources, you can have greater confidence in the data. Example: If four studies conclude that children don't like fish unless it is fried, and a fifth study reached an opposite conclusion, you might be skeptical of the fifth study. How old is the data? Data that was true at the time it was collected may not be true today. Example: A 1980 study of children's food preferences may not be relevant to your decision today, when more food choices are available, people are dining out more frequently, and people are more health conscious.